Fighting Soil Degradation With EOSDA: Webinar Takeaways

On January 31, 2023, EOS Data Analytics, a global provider of AI-powered satellite imagery analytics, held a free webinar dedicated to soil degradation and the ways it can be tracked, addressed, and prevented with EOSDA solutions.

The webinar was focused on digital soil mapping and crop modeling as ways helping to monitor and sustain soil health and maximize crop yields.

To access the presentation, follow the link.

Agribusinesses, agri-cooperatives, food production companies, and specialists of various kinds from the consultancy, telecom, and banking branches attended this online event.

The following speakers had been presenting during the webinar:

• Lina Yarysh, Head of Customer Success at EOS Data Analytics
• Vasyl Cherlinka, Soil Scientist at EOS Data Analytics

To meet the growing demand for food, farmers can’t endlessly expand arable areas at the expense of forests, wetlands, and grassland habitats. The agriculture industry has an urgent need to raise awareness and promote sustainable use of our limited resources using the best available scientific information and building on all dimensions of sustainable development.

The sustainability of soils here is the key to addressing the pressures of a growing population.

Three most available ways to address and prevent soil degradation are soil carbon emission assessment, regulation of fertilizer and pesticide usage, and implementation of sustainable management practices. EOSDA’s satellite imagery analytics platforms are aimed to help with all three of them.

Lina Yarysh

Head of Customer Success at EOS Data Analytics

For that, EOS Data Analytics will conduct a pilot project to develop a model for cheaper soil organic carbon measurement via remote sensing technology. The company also works on the exhaustive soil model to forecast the state of the soil in several years and provide recommendations on how to improve its future fertility through precision agriculture practices in particular.

Speaking of soil degradation, Vasyl Cherlinka explained its types, causes, and factors.

Soils degrade either because of natural and industrial anthropogenic processes (earthquakes, mining, karst formation, etc.) or because of poor agricultural management.

Four major types of soil degradation currently known are:

1. Pathology of the soil profile and genetic soil horizons
2. Violation of water and chemical regimes
3. Violation of the bioenergy regime
4. Pollution and chemical poisoning

Each of these types has distinct characteristics and a more detailed classification, but the end effect is always noticeable from space.

Soil degradation is visible on satellite images; when we analyze various vegetation indices, we can see very clearly and vividly where and why there is a loss of soil productivity and, as a result, yield failure.

Vasyl Cherlinka

Soil Scientist at EOS Data Analytics

In the integrated EOSDA tools currently being developed, along with satellite monitoring and mathematical modeling of erosion, which cross-verify each other, an advisory block will be present that will give recommendations for combating soil erosion based on the results of the analysis and taking the natural-climatic zone into account.

Among other things, Vasyl Cherlinka also explained the science behind modeling carbon sequestration, soil characteristics, wind and water erosion, soil contamination, and other mathematical approaches to calculating soil degradation.

Vasyl Cherlinka

Scientist at EOS Data Analytics

Vasyl Cherlinka has over 30 years of experience in agronomy and pedology (soil science). He is a Doctor of Biosciences with a specialization in soil science.

Dr. Cherlinka attended the engineering college in Ukraine (1989-1993), went on to deepen his expertise in agrochemistry and agronomy in the Chernivtsi National University in the specialty, “Agrochemistry and soil science”.

In 2001, he successfully defended a thesis, “Substantiation of Agroecological Conformity of Models of Soil Fertility and its Factors to the Requirements of Field Cultures” and obtained the degree of Biosciences Candidate with a special emphasis on soil science from the NSC “Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry Research named after O.N. Sokolovsky”.

In 2019, Dr. Cherlinka successfully defended a thesis, “Digital Elevation Models in Soil Science: Theoretical and Methodological Foundations and Practical Use” and obtained the Sc.D. in Biosciences with a specialization in soil science.

Vasyl is married, has two children (son and daughter). He has a lifelong passion for sports (he’s a candidate for Master of Sports of Ukraine in powerlifting and has even taken part in Strongman competitions).

Since 2018, Dr. Cherlinka has been advising EOSDA on problems in soil science, agronomy, and agrochemistry.